How To Keep Your Yacht Safe from Orca 'Attacks' - What The Data Is Telling Us
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 лип 2023
- Since 2020, the endangered strait of Gibraltar Orcas have been ‘attacking’ Yachts. No one really knows why, but faced with damaged rudders and scared sailors the Cruising Association and the GTOA are collaborating to collect data and find ways of avoiding interactions and if you do have one, how best to mitigate the damage. This video looks at some of the statistics collected, and how this has led to some of the advice given to the Yachting community.
Music
Not Without the Rest by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: www.twinmusicom.org/
Sources:
Cruising Association Webinar • Orcas and Yachts: Fact...
www.orcaiberica.org/
www.orcaiberica.org/en/recome...
www.theca.org.uk/orcas/reports
www.theca.org.uk/orcas
I live in the Pacific Northwest, and while Orca encounters here happen fairly regularly, mine was just weird. I was on the western side of Pt. Defiance fishing for red rock bass at my favorite spot when my boat took a wave sideways, almost flipping me into the water and causing me to drop my only rod and reel into the water. It was only about 8-10 meters deep (26-33 feet), so I stripped my shoes off, looked around, didn't see anything to be worried about, and dove down to try and find my rig. I'd dove down 3 or 4 times and had come up to catch my breath. Didn't see anyone around me, and dove down again. I get to the bottom and I'm looking around, when this Orca glides out of the shadows right next to me. Then more. I know the law, so up I went, climbed in my boat, and sat there for an hour while the Orca's played "what's the human doing?".
They eventually swam off. I waited a bit longer, looked around to make sure they were not around, and dove back in again. I got down to the bottom, and did locate my rod and reel, but right as I was getting close to it, here they came again, swimming around me. Back up I went. Rinse and repeat. I waited 1/2 an hour after I saw the last one, before going back in after my pole. I get down, find my pole, am starting back up, and.... here they are again. Same thing, swimming around me like they are curious why I was down that deep. Up I go, into my boat, sit and wait for them to leave, and call it a day.
Start the motor, and start heading back to the launch. Come around the Point, and run smack dab right into them. I had to shut everything down because they again surrounded my boat, and were all looking at me. Cpl other boaters got the same look over as well. Made my day to be sure. But I had to eat chicken that night instead of some nice Rock Bass XD.
If you really want to take the story to 11, you should do a little embellishment. At first I thought adding a bit about the orcas bring your pole back at the end, but that's a bit on the nose. What actually happened was right when you were about to leave, the orcas brought you a red rock bass, plopped it right on the deck.
What an amazing experience, you are so lucky to have had such an encounter 😄
Now all I need is a yacht
“There is no known case” ….. reminds me of a Terry Pratchett observation concerning humans being attacked and eaten by wolves along the lines of how would one know about the unknown ones?
Human bones having specific scratches on them?
People making laws on detering Orcas most probably were never in a situation where Orcas attacked their boat. I would do anything to protect the people on mine.
Your coverage of this issue continues to be very informative. Thanks Ben's mom!😁
Your another one full of sh%t very informative means what if I say 2+2=5 you’d say say thanks for letting me know you’ve been very informative” you 9491
I never heard of this happening until the last few years
they are teaching the pups to attack time for handgranades
This was a great video with some of the first practical methods to deter the orcas that I have heard of. The black bottom paint potentially raising the risk is really interesting. Next time I repaint the bottom it will be on my mind.
Thank you!
Interpreting statistics is not so easy. Black bottom paint only has a few more incidents than blue or coppercoat. There probably are more yachts with black, then blue, then copper. So: there is no significant correlation at all
Indeed, the supposed over-representation of black anti-fouling paint among attacked yachts should be corrected for the relative proportion on black- vs white-painted yachts circulating in these waters. Without that data, there is no telling whether colour has any say in the matter.
There's a video interview posted a couple weeks ago by a sailboat owner who's boat was attacked and sunk near the Galápagos Islands many years ago. It's pretty clear in this instance the huge male orca mistakenly thought the boat was a whale and hit the rudder at very high speed. The big male orca was traveling with a female, his calf, and was badly perhaps fatally injured in this incident.
Darwin's theory at work......
That is interesting and very sad if the Orca died!
Undoubtedly there is a lot we do not know about orca behaviour and if my experience of other large wild social group mammals is anything to go by, thinking particularly of for example lions, then fighting to protect territory and family relatives is quite a regular activity. This might explain some of the boat attacks that happen. For an orca to risk such serious personal injury as the incident you describe, it suggests it might have done it out of fear for the safety of its family. I don't know much about orcas but it is well known that male lions taking over a pride will kill all the offspring sired by the previous dominant male.
I was once traveling to Antarctica on a small boat skippered by someone who described being on a yacht in the south Atlantic that was sunk very quickly by an orca ramming the hull. The yacht had simply altered course slightly to get a better view of the group.
You meant to say...there are no witnesses to an Orca eating a human.
Very good information that is sorely needed in order to try and counteract the inevitably generally anthropocentric human view of what is happening. We know so little about orcas really and it is important to keep a very open mind.
It would be good to know more detail about the inevitable conflict between the commercial boats and the orcas that hunt the same waters for the tuna near Gibraltar. I doubt fishing boats would report in their experiences of how they try and deter orcas from taking fish off their lines etc.
Hi, my first video about these Orcas was 6 months ago and I talk a bit about the fishing boats. I have put the link in case you are interested in watching it 😀ua-cam.com/video/zk6mJ-qZunU/v-deo.html
Anthropocentrism is the belief that value is focused on human beings and that all other beings are means to human ends. That's about right.
Maybe they can be captured and moved to the Somali Coast. They will attack pirate boats and we can solve two problems with one action.
Great video. Fascinating.
That's really interesting someone figured out the sand thing humans are smart
The boat surfaces as a whole are curved so that boat sonar reflections are perhaps neither here nor there w.r.t. to orcas but clearly there's something about the rudder these creatures are fascinated with. Perhaps the rudder presents an unusually flat surface to strongly reflect their sonar investigations when at 90° to the pod so they must further investigate. With each minor movement of the rudder the signals will strongly fluctuate presenting a flashing & fascinating curiosity that may indeed be a fin of a new delicious & edible large tuna type fish. Perhaps a new rudder design weakening the reflective nature might solve the problem but sailors would have to put up with a minor amount of extra drag. Might be worth doing! It would keep the peace & not give orcas indigestion or toothache!
Man, it's nice to hear about this sort of thing happening with people going 'wait, wait, we can just... Think this through, and change our habits, saving ourselves and these animals the trouble'
LMAO. These animals are dangerous, if they are smashing your boat up it is best to use any means possible to stop them. The laws protecting them are meaningless if your boat could possibly sink and you could drown.
I agree. Seems a simple, single stick of dynamite solves this issue.
@@AORD72 Sorry, I didn't mean to insult your religion, I realize some people are true and devout cowards, desperate to assert dominance over all the scary things in the world and frame it as their right and privilege. May the Creator of the Truck Nuts watch over your itty bitty balls.
Orcas eat seals. Seals are Mammals
I think she was speaking of these particular orcas near Gibraltar.
The Iberian Orcas primarily feed on blue fin tuna.
Lots of interesting points and info to follow up on..i was surprissed that there seemed to be no difference between sailing and powerred interactions...definitely will be looking at those tables..TY.
Also wondering, since a sand shower seems an effective deterrent, wether a bubble generator on the rudder might work too. It would alter the water density for sure...but the sounds might be just as attractive as the actual rudder. Plus any Orca playing with a air bubbling rudder might enjoy the tingle? 🙂 Still it might be an idea to look at and relatively easy to implement and deploy.
Great vid as usual..Thanks🙂👍
Thank you. Yes, it is definitely the rudder that they are after, I really think , they think it is a toy. I have a lovely image of an Orca effectively having a jacuzzi 😆, but seriously, I wonder if bubbles would work? A great idea!
@OneWorldNT My mental image was more of a bubbly sonic tooth brush 😁 I wasn't anticipating a full on Jacuzi..lol..But who knows how much bubbles will be needed 😁
I had that same brief thought about a bubble generator deterrent. Then it occurred to me that these intelligent and precocious animals would just see it as something new to investigate. I came back to my own original position which is that *minimal to no interaction with humans* is the only way forward. If you've ever seen footage of Southern Ocean orcas mortally *playing* with penguins and seals then you wouldn't like them to continue associating a human as another thing to play with. 🐧🦭🏊♂🏄🧜♂
Distraction? Something else for the orca to play with? A selection of different size and colour inflatable beach balls thrown in the water?
Side-note: I over-read some of the comments and was BAFFLED at how many people wanted to correct you about the fish-eating thing.
You made it VERY CLEAR you were describing the diet of THAT particular population, not of orcas in general. What more would they need in order to understand !!?
As a science educator myself, this feels quite discouraging I must say !
Great videos anyway, that I discovered thanks to your son Ben (who makes equally great vids).
I know, it gets pretty frustrating. Ben gets the same problem! I don't know what can be done, other than politely point out that they have 'misunderstood'. I'm pleased you took the time to come and watch some of my videos and that you enjoy them - thank you. What kind of science educator are you?
@@OneWorldNT , I am but an average Physics professor at Sorbonne in Paris (France), with also a long-standing adjunct position at Case Western Reserve (Cleveland, OH).
We in Physical Sciences have it easier than most disciplines when it comes to being argued with by people from the general public, I believe. Given that the natural "language" of our field revolves around Applied Maths, there is a high "entry price" to pay before anyone can be in a position to argue about anything. With disciplines communicating mostly through verbal language (even if highly technical), it becomes much easier for people to THINK that they understand topics completely and that they are in a position to argue based on their anecdotal personal experience. To be honest, the academic colleagues I feel the most for are Historians, who seem to spend a non-negligible amount of time being argued with by everyone and their mothers over their own core academic subject.
Popularising Science is difficult ... (so difficult that I, for one, have always shied away from it as much as I could, I must confess).
Keep up the good work then ! 👍
Oh wow- a Physics Professor. I feel very honoured that you like and take the time to look at my videos. Thank you for the encouragement - I really needed it 😀@@pierrecarles2390
@@OneWorldNT , praises for your work here are deserved unconditionally. And my own should not be valued any higher than that of other viewers, really: we in Academia are just a special brand of nerds ! 😊
Thank you
I always thought the “wee factor” is a large part of these interactions. Grab a rudder & be taken for a ride. Also, these orca seem to play with yachts the same way arctic orcas play with small bergs: pushing them around, rubbing against the bottom, etc. in other words, juvenile delinquents.
WTF, these are animals that can sink a boat. Avoid at all costs and deter them by any means or face possible drowning (like what has happened to other people).
Now I know how to keep my fleet of yachts safe. I onl need to have a yacht now.
I am a little late to the game here, but there is something about these orca attacks against boats near Spain, Portugal and now France that I have always wondered about, ever since they started a few years back.
I know that the present consensus is to advise skippers to lay low, stop the boat, turn all sources of noise off and wait till the animals get bored. But the strategy has shown its limits over and over, if I trust the many testimonies of endangered crews that we heard these past two years (as I write, a large yacht was literally sunk by orcas three days ago near Gibraltar).
In that context, what would likely take place if, instead of laying low, one person from the crew gets down in the water and swims around ? I realise this must be quite a frightening perspective, but given that no aggressive encounter has ever been recorded in the wild between orcas and swimmers, would that move not provide something more interesting for the animals to interact with than a dumb wooden rudder, and be theoretically not dangerous for either the swimmer or the animals ?
Has anyone tried it, or is it too frightening to even consider ?
To my knowledge, no one has tried it. It might be a distraction from the boat, but I'm guessing you won't get any volunteers to try it out!
Playing some tracks of peace loving sounds from Bob Dylan or Katy What's Her Name may help but, as the sotto voiced presenter likely knows, these whales are quick learners and associating a very loud sound and intense pain inflicted by lead travelling at 2,500 fps would be a more useful lesson. Concurrent red staining of the water would form another association.
Then garlands of peace flowers would be cast upon the waters.
Peace, brothers and sisters.
Steel skinned rudders. Actually a bubble net sounds like it may occupy the orcas or at least be a distraction from the rudder, a loop of weighted hose with holes dragged behind the boat with compressed air fed to it.
Here’s what I’ve learned. My family lives on my boat so sinking endangers my child. The boat is secondary. The orcas are approaching for their attacks from the surface. Making them vulnerable to rifle fire. Arrows maintain a lot of energy even in water so an arrow fired at a orca submerged beside your boat with a rudder in its mouth can be shot with arrows so to recap. When sailing in that area if approached by orcas you can defend your boat
Could a gentle but firm nudge (minding the eyes and blowhole) with a spinnaker pole be effective? They might find it amusing and pull it under if you're not quick about it.
A gallon of Insanity Hot Sauce!
@@georgewashington7444 If seen you'd get arrested and publicly shamed. But they should be humanely discouraged from effing with rudders somehow. This thing has become their Rubik's Cube.
As a sailor I’ve been interested in this topic and sorta joke about Hot Pepper sauce but maybe a gallon canvas bag with a couple holes in it could be trailed behind in orca waters.
When i get in that area @2026 I’ll try it!
never tried whale meat with H.P.S. ,mabey a bit of curry sauce
How do we know the Orcas' havent been trained to do this? take it where you want but seems rather interesting that this is a Thing in the last year or so.
I mean Orcas have been known to gang up on Blue and Sperm whales.. attack sharks just to eat ONLY the livers of Sharks and leave the rest to rot.. we're not dealing with an overgrown tuna, but an animal with actual cunning intellect.
Why not deign rudders to break with sharp edges and leave a third for steering?
I have an acoustic solution. A large caliber rifle would be a very loud and effective deterrent.
Keep some M-80's onboard. Pre-rig them with a modest weight. Just enough to ensure they don't float. If orcas get too close, light one and toss it in. I promise you, the orcas will decide they'd rather be somewhere else.
That's what I've been saying. Or perhaps installing active sonar.
Easy to say when you admit to not having a rudder to be used for a orca chew toy,, strange they after sailboat when sailor s generally do the least harm to sea creatures, ,have at the Chinese fishing fleet they probably been using em for soup
This entire video I was waiting for the statement "for just 50 cent a day you to can help save the whales"
I know that typically orcas are not interested in humans as food but I do wonder if they go away after boats sink because they are done or because your got into another boat? I know one thing I don't want to find out how they'd see me in the open Ocean with no boat, they're still mammals and they kill far bigger pretty than humans! i.e White sharks, gray whale calf's, different seals so we wouldn't be any work for them! I just shivered thinking about it! Yikes
Suddenly has urge to get a boat and sail near orcas...
has anyone trailed a tuna-sized float? if the orca just wants to play, given them a toy
Fin keel and spade rudder and dark hull look like a whale upside down in its position willing to mate i read somewhere , maybe use other colours on the hull underwater. Am not an expert though but sail full keel boat.
Don’t orca’s hunt seals?
is harpooning illegal? I'd hate to do it, but if my life depended on it....and they do need to "unlearn" this behavior.
Actually a man in California was bit by a wild orca while surfing but he was only bit once and survived.
Inuit have stories about fatal attacks.
@@georgewashington7444 That as well it’s just know one has been killed by one in the wild since America was colonized.
Simple solution. Jumper cables hooked to your battery, drop the other end in the water. It won't harm the orcas, they'll leave. Not at all hard to figure out.
I just watched Jaws,they knew how to take care of the problem
There has been cases of Orcas attacking humans and killing humans.
My fellow mammals, be it sea or land, follow these majestic Orca's lead and down with the bourgeoisie! 🤣
A wooden oar and a hammer. Put the blade in the water and bang at the handle end.
Not mammal eating?
Orcas in other areas eat plenty of seals and sea lions, so these Orcas may well do it, given the opportunity.
Different populations of Orca eat different foods. Some populations of Orca eat mammals, others eat fish. These are a fish eating population!
@@OneWorldNT Sushi!
Screw the orcas I am bringing 4 meter long 12mm extremly sharpened rebars..... that will help me better then some webb page....
all those datas are quite unuseful... for example it seems that orcas "prefer" boat from 10 to 12.5m, but that is probably just the most diffused sailing vessel lenght... then, how many boats cross the ocean in that point? ... and again, regarding the color of boat, orcas "prefer" light colour yacht... I don't see too many dark coloured ones... and so on.
She said: “Whilst, most importantly, not harming these beautiful marine mammals”. Really? That is the most important issue?
Maybe a yacht owner should have some type of taser to let the Orca know that a yacht is not a toy?
I am sure that you can remember her long list of statistics while you watch your yacht sink.
Pour Sand on Them. Just Throw Some Sand in a Bag, Before You Sail Out. When They Get close, Pour Sand on Them.
It Causes Them to 'Itch' and They Bug Out.
It's Harmless, Humane, and Safe for the Whale.
Underwater high pitched sound equipment, or blow them up.
I'm going to go with a 30cal weapon, no more problems with that one, next .
There will be an electric deterrent eventually that will repel an attacking orca. No gills so regular shark repellant is not effective. A basic stun gun jolt might send them on their way with less damage than an exploding harpoon head, which a yachtsman or woman can only wish for when being attacked while miles from land.
yeah, better not to harm them. if playing already does this much damage, imagine what a vengeful orca is capable of…
🤣I had not thought of that!
There’s a movie called Orca made in 1970s!
Unfortunately if the group got vengeful they would have to be euthanized, hope it doesn’t come to that.
They are quick learners, so a few hunting arrows should do the trick
If they won't eat a human, this would be an excellent opportunity to stop the boat, jump in the water and try to ride one. They will either go away, or if they swim up to the boat, they will be ridden.
They don't eat people but swatting one with a tail may be ok by them
Imma jump in & swim. Why not?
They don't look at yachts as toys, rather they use them to train their young ones how to hunt and kill whales. They are mainly interested in the rudder fins as they look relatively similar to a whale's fin. If the boat is moving, so will be the rudder and that is what the whales look for to carry out schooling of their young. I feel by bringing the boat to a complete stop, locking the wheel/rudder, turning the engine off should do the trick. To avoid being pushed towards rocks and beaches due to drifting, it is better to keep a safe distance from the shore/rocks while in transit. I believe once the orcas loose interest they will swim away.
As a dis-claimer, I have not tried it personally, but that is what I will do if the situation arises. You must make your own decision when you are there facing the orcas. Good luck and safe passage
If conditions permit, I’ll jump in ; see what happens…
Seal are mammals and their on the menu!
She’s saying that the orcas in these areas don’t eat other mammals they only eat fish. Different populations of orcas in different parts of the world eat different things.
Interesting information but would be easier to hear without the distracting and irritating music
So your saying the century’s old claims of sea monsters attacking ships is likely true! One myth proven true!
Probably, somebody was annoying them and they are retaliating. Prove otherwise.
With absolutely no evidence. First one to approach my boat in that area is getting shot. Fk em they’re fish
What you have said is, nearly 70% of boats had damage, with 62.7% had extensive damage requiring immediate repairs! If people lose their property, die from drowning, but not get eaten by orkas, but by sharks later. But- but- but they are so cute, they are only playing. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?
It’s their environment, not yours or mine.
@@markwilson4052 Where's your environment?
Ah, Orcas DO eat mammals....seals and others
Some populations eat mammals, others eat fish!
In some ways the intelligent Orcas have called humanity's bluff and realised how safe they are in a modern world frightened to do anything about any threat. Providing they do not actually eat a human (edit: which must be very tempting so you have to admire their self control) the ocean is their playground and the boats the toys. I expect sonar drives them nuts so there may be an element of frustration here with boats in general. Also boats have recklessly exposed screws which are a major risk to underwater animals but out of sight out of mind to the people above the waves. Imagine the carnage if open propellor driven cars were driven around above ground and whales may just be intelligent enough to consider that.
About orcas not being mammal eaters... tell that to the seals. And to the whales, whose tongues orcas savour a lot.
Anyway, I've got a solution: since they don't attack humans, simply cover your boat with them. We're not 8 billions for nothing!
She said this particular pod of orcas are not mammal eaters. Most orca pods specialise in one food only. This one eats tuna, others eat stingrays (in NZ) others eat whales (Bering Sea) etc.
@@thebackwardpointinggodwit8080 Thank you - saved me replying!
@@OneWorldNT. You’ll get plenty more opportunities, I’m sure.
I hope your title for this video is not as limiting as your choice of words suggests - or it is just bad grammar?
You say someone is "collecting data" which would mean there are collecting multiple pieces of instances of incidents, in which case the collected data ARE telling us something.
That's not entirely true. Wild orca populations in other areas prey on other marine mammals like seals and sea lions. Each population seems to have its own preferences. That said, the narration that there is no record of a wild orca attacking a human in the water seems correct.
I did say, that these particular Orcas eat fish - which is true, they are not a population that eat mammals!
I'm with the orcas. They do eat mammals in the wild besides just fish.
It depends on the population. Some eat mammals, other populations eat fish 😊
Have a BIG boat and Orcas will go look for another victim
are they in search of scratching themselves ?,
are they desperate for a toothpick ?, 🤷
I will use my harpoon ( spear gun ) on one of them - if they come close. . If they are so intelligent they will learn fast that it hurts coming close to the boats. I will let study group know interaction outcome and reactions of the rest of the pod.....
They want their oceans back.
I think it’s reasonable to cull the worst offenders in order to keep people safe. Take one out and the rest will flee for their lives if they’re as smart as everyone says. If it saves just one human life it will be worth it. Prayers for those who’s boats were damaged by these ferocious beasts. 🙏
I wish we could do that with texting speeding drivers & those too stupid to use turn signals…
We didn't invade the orca's environment.
We suppose to be good stewards of orca's environment.
make sure you take a few grenades on board try and lob it right in open mouth that should stop any attack
I love nature but if it comes between an animal attacking (unprovoked) your vessel and endangering human life that’s where I’d draw the line. Carry a few M80’s and a good lighter. They get their bells 🔔 rung once or twice they’ll stop this bad behavior.
You do know seals are mammals not fish so yes they do eat mammals
She’s saying that the orcas in these areas don’t eat other mammals they only eat fish. Different populations of orcas in different parts of the world eat different things.
@@tobiasedwards2643 Thank you for replying to these messages for me 🐋
@@OneWorldNT you’re welcome keep up the good work and tell your sons the same 🐋
@@tobiasedwards2643 so what areas eat what because we have seen seals eaten and whale calfs admittedly only certain parts of the calfs but both are mammals
Noooooo 💦💦💦💦💦
The new thing on boats is Wi-Fi routers maybe turn that off if they come around maybe they don't like it
So what some humans want, is to do nothing and keep letting them sink boats until someone dies. Stupid IMO, eliminate the pod so they don't spread their destruction.
All this is completely inaccurate and just her opinion.
Perhaps you should read the title again?
@@OneWorldNTdon’t give Jamieblack9349 your time, he trolls a lot of channels with similar one liners.
@@ross82 Thank you for the 'heads up'. I don't often reply to comments like that - you can't reply to everyone anyway - but I did feel that it was a bit strange given that I was looking at the data collected by the Cruising Association ☺
Turn off your sonar!
Another video that simply repeats what other videos have already read from news and sea sources.
sorry ,but people are not stealing food . God created this planet for all of us
I notice that anything that you do to protect your Yacht is illegal..
Personally.. I would carry a very powerful crossbow!..
Bring harpoons
You don't really have any news or new study, you're just repeating what's out there already 🙄 🤷 😒 you are NOT telling us anything new . How boring 😴
Unfortunately, I don't have the privilege of working with these Orcas. I have never said that I did - so no, it is not 'original research'. The point of the video was to 'spread the word ' about the data collected by the Cruising Association and how it was informing the experts on the best way to keep Yatchs safe and the procedure to follow if the Orcas interacted with a boat!
What a useless word salad.
Couple dynamite sticks thrown in the water might deter them
dont have a yacht, shrimple
Go drive in traffic.
Don't own a yacht.
Boom. Problem fixed
Buy a spare yacht and give it to the orcas?
My yacht is 34’ & I feel sorry for the poor saps who have to live on land.
THEY DON’T OWN THE SEA, GOD DOES! And He’s given stewardship of it TO US, not to animals.
Seal bombs first , 12 gauge second. Problem solved.
The killer dolphin is not sacred and the narrators milk toast voice is nauseating.
Computer voice is nonhuman
@00:57 The video has at least one statement that is not true. Killer Whales hae in fact attacked a human in the wild. I'm rather surprised at how many filks can not do a quick google search before putting a video like this together. California surfer Hans Kretschmer in 1972 was bit by a killer whale, this is arguably the only known case. I love killer whales but facts are facts. Same thing with wolves, idiots will have you believe they have never attacked or killed a human in the wild. While it is rare, it does happen.